5 Ways to Capture More Passive Candidates

5 Ways to Capture More Passive Candidates

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Today, passive candidates are simply people who are currently employed and not actively looking for work. Many argue that the term doesn’t accurately describe so-called “passive candidates,” but nonetheless this is how we’ve come to understand them. Even though approximately 65% of employed adults look at new opportunities within three months of starting a job, that doesn’t mean that they are actively looking for a new job. Rather, they are keeping their options open, or perhaps they’re feeling a bit of buyer’s remorse after starting a new job. It’s extremely common today to watch for job openings even if you are not actively looking for a new one.

That being said, passive candidates are busy and probably not as willing to take time off or travel for an interview. In order to capture more passive candidates, try these tips to make it a process and land the best candidate through nurturing passive candidates and convincing them to make the move to a new job. Every candidate may react different, but taking smaller steps to nurture them through a recruiting process may be less likely to scare them away.

Capture More Passive Candidates with a Nurturing Process

1. Start small. Connect with potential candidates on LinkedIn, follow them on Twitter or find another way to make a simple friendly connection. Don’t push them on anything yet. Take this time to do your research on candidates to determine who may be the most qualified based on their work history.

2. Put yourself out there. You’ll never know how a candidate feels about a job unless to talk to them. Approach them as a networking relationship rather than pushing them too hard on a job they weren’t actually looking for. Take steps to build a relationship with ideal candidates and once you’ve begun to build it, start learning about their interests and discuss the opportunities you think would be a good fit for them.

3. Boost your social media presence. Many people today follow companies on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, etc. simply because they are interested in the company. By maintaining social media platforms with high quality content, you keep followers’ attention, and adding career-oriented content may act as something like subliminal messaging that may capture the interest of passive candidates. Follow potential candidates on social media and engage with them to continue building a relationship before pitching them an opportunity.

4. Invite them to recorded interviews. When you’ve established at least a networking relationship with passive candidates, reach out them to describe a new opportunity available at your company. Offer the best contenders the option to take a recorded video interview. Because passive candidates have existing jobs, they are probably unwilling to take time off, but emphasizing how easy it is to submit a recorded interview on their own schedule may encourage them to apply. It’s the first step to turning them into a true candidate up for consideration.

5. Suggest a virtual interview. Rather than invite passive candidates to an in-person interview that may not work for their busy working schedule, suggest a virtual interview that can be scheduled around their time more easily. Virtual interviews still provide the same level of interaction, but they eliminate the need for travel, even when it’s only short distances. In the case of passive candidates, it’s easier to schedule a video interview during a lunch break than leave the office several hours early to attend an in-person meeting.

These small steps can help you break through the walls and capture more passive candidates who meet all of the qualifications you’re looking for in your next hire. When you can’t find the applicants you want through simple job postings, take the time to build relationships with passive candidates through a variety of means, including social media, and make the process as convenient as possible for them with video interview technology.

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Holly Wade is the Marketing Manager at GreenJobInterview. She comes from the technology world with a background in marketing and public relations, where she specialized in content management, brand development and social media. Connect with Holly via LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollycwade